Just when I thought this relationship may have hit its peak (I mean, how does it get better than being a guest judge with Kirstie Alley and traveling to NYC for the first time??), it got better.

My friends at Jenny Craig reached out toward the beginning of the year, inviting me to join them at their headquarters in California to shoot some of my favorite Jenny Craig recipe creations.

You guys… I can’t even begin to tell you how exciting this was. We chose recipes, worked on scripts, booked flights, and discussed wardrobe options.

To get things started, I scoured the town looking for cute tops to wear under my Jenny Craig apron. Those jeans and that top totally made the cut… Thanks, Nordstrom.

Prints and accessories don’t play well on camera, so I needed to keep it simple. And, I get washed out in pastel colors. So, jewel-toned tops were what I brought with me!

When it was finally time to head to San Diego… I was beyond nervous (and really tan – hello, fresh spray tan!)

The day of the shoot, the Jenny Craig team picked me up bright and early for my hair and makeup appointment. Showered and fresh-faced, I headed out to find that it was a dreary day in Carlsbad… and raining. The hotel was able to offer me an umbrella to shield me from the rain. I don’t melt, but today was a big day where I didn’t need rain to get in the way!

Our first stop of the morning was at Bella Dora Spa. I’d been scheduled for a blowout and full makeup session… Such a treat!

After some brief discussions with the stylist, she encouraged me to not do a full shampoo and instead load up on dry shampoo. Her advice was that this would help my style stay throughout the day. I tend to trust the experts… and it always works out just fine, but I really should have had her wash my hair that morning. The fact that the Jenny Craig team was adjusting my dirty, dry shampooed hair was a little embarrassing. Clean hair just feels better than dirty, product heavy hair…

Just the same, she did a fantastic job… and I headed over to be made up for the day. You guys. I like to wear bright lipstick, but I’m pretty amateur when it comes to makeup as a whole. Loved watching this look come together. If I could have this makeup artist do my makeup all the time… sigh…

When you’re on camera, makeup always needs to be a little bolder and a little brighter. So, as I walked out of the salon… I looked SUPER fancy.

After shopping around the spa store for a few minutes, it was time to over to Jenny Craig HQ for the shoot. So exciting, y’all!

I didn’t get a chance to take a picture of the building, etc… due to rain, but I did get quite a few shots when I was tucked away inside. And, of course… I took pics of our fun set.

On the verge of sounding like I total fangirl, I have to tell you… There was something so so cool about being at Jenny Craig. About seeing a team of food stylists recreating my recipes that I’ve posted right here on No Thanks to Cake. And, about just being in this moment.

There’s a LOT that goes into a video shoot like this. Now, Katie Lee and Jeff Mauro may make this look easy… but it’s really not. And, I’m sure there’s a whole team of folks behind the scenes prepping, misting, and supporting the set. Food Network, I’m impressed!

When we were finally ready to shoot, I changed quickly and took my place on set. You guys… there was a for real clapperboard that they used between takes.

As we got things started, I’ll be honest… I got really, really nervous. The heat of the lights, the fact that Jenny Craig had flown me in and was counting on me to be awesome, the fact that it is REALLY hard to keep a good pace with a teleprompter… I really thought I might lose it during the first recipe. But, I knew I couldn’t… and this was all too important! I held it together and said the lines over and over again, until hopefully, we got enough that the genius camera man (he was amazing!) could use for the segments.

After we wrapped the first recipe, there was a set change and a costume change (of course) and we were at it again. It got easier as the day went on, and as I relaxed more and felt like I wasn’t ruining the whole shoot, everything started to go smoothly!

We featured four recipes that day. And, you guys… I can’t wait for you to see all the videos. Jenny Craig is posting them this month, right in time for the recipe contest. I’ll share them as they go live. They’re a lot of fun. I look like I’m about to laugh in the below. I’m sure I’m offering a really important tip! Get it together, Kelly!

I mentioned that I’d love to have someone do my hair and makeup every day… I’d also like to bring home the food stylists that I worked with. They made my recipes look so beautiful! Check out two of their creations below (with links to the recipes!)

As though shooting four NTTC recipes were not enough fun for the day, we also shot three Jenny Craig-friendly drink recipes. We shot these for social media use, but they’re really really fun. Shot from above, with yours truly as a hand model.

We wrapped up the day around 9pm, and guys, I was exhausted. I headed back to the hotel to relax, order room service, and go to bed. When I arrived back at the hotel, I totally took a selfie. I mean, that’s what bloggers do right?

I took a pic, because… exhausted, sore feet, dirty hair… I was so incredibly happy. I mean, when do you have a chance to do something like this in your life??? You just don’t. And, that makeup held up all day long, and that was something too!

Thank you, Jenny Craig, for not only offering me a program that has changed my life, but for inviting me to your offices to shoot these amazing videos. Such an honor… and I thank you. xoxo

Disclaimer: I received compensation from Jenny Craig for this video project and also receive a program discount. All of the opinions and comments about the program are exclusively my own and do not necessarily represent that of the brand.

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Disclaimer

I am not a licensed dietitian, nor medical doctor, nor a fitness expert. The purpose of my blog is to share my experiences with weight loss, fitness, and life in general and to offer a little entertainment along the way. If you are seeking a professional opinion on how you should proceed to achieve your personal goals, please consult a professional.

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